This invention relates in general to security devices and more particularly, to an improved door security device and method for preventing unauthorized intrusion. The present invention is particularly designed to deter xe2x80x9ckick-inxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cpry-inxe2x80x9d burglaries by both enhancing and safeguarding the structural integrity of the door and its door jamb by reduction of the shock and impact imparted to the doorjamb and latch mechanism, and its striker fastening plate and by providing a more reliable door/door jamb connection.
Conventionally, in the past, it was the practice to employ a variety of dead bolts on doors, which extend between the swinging door and the door jamb. The dead bolt extends between the door and jamb in such a manner as to provide a rigid attachment or fastening so as to prevent passage of unauthorized persons through the door or portal. Usually, the mechanism for the dead bolt or spring latch is on the inside of the door, and when actuated, causes the sliding bolt or spring latch to extend into a receptacle provided in the door jamb. Generally, the receptacle is in alignment with a central opening in a striker fastening plate so the moveable latch of the key lock mechanism will strike the plate and due to its spring bias, extend into the receptacle as well. Therefore, whether a movable latch of a lock mechanism or a sliding dead bolt is used, a striker fastening plate is part of a conventional installation on the door jamb itself. Generally, fasteners such as screws retain the striker fastening plate to a wooden door jamb and the striker fastening plate adds strength to the area where the latch or bolt secures to the jamb.
Problems and difficulties have been encountered when using such a conventional bolting system, which stem largely from the fact that wooden jambs may be readily kicked or broken so that the desired effect of a dead bolt or locking mechanism is avoided. An intruder may readily forcibly impact the door where the bolt or latch is located and the bolt or latch itself will be driven through the relatively weakened wood of the door jamb at that precise location. Obviously, repair is extensive, costly, and as well time-consuming. Additionally, the express purpose and reason for locking the door is avoided since access can be made by destroying the door jamb through kicking or otherwise hammering at the bolt location. Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a novel safety striker fastening plate which will strengthen the door jamb and at the same time permit removable disposition of a dead bolt or the like into the conventional receptacle. Such a device must be easy to install and convenient to use as well as well as adaptable to a variety of different width doorjambs and doorjamb designs.
The present invention is directed to an improvement in door security devices and the method for preventing unauthorized intrusion through a door or other portal, which while providing a releasable door/door jamb connection thereby significantly reduces the likelihood of a xe2x80x9ckick-inxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cpry-inxe2x80x9d entry.
The device of the present invention, which may be generally described as an improved door striker fastening plate design, comprises a heavy-duty striker fastening plate that is securable to a standard door jamb by a plurality of hardened screws in a more or less standard installation by use of a slightly larger required cut-out recess in the flat door jamb surface for fitting about a standard dead bolt or standard spring latch lock set conventionally mounted on the door.
Generally, in all embodiments of the present invention, the invention comprises a modification to the conventional door striker fastening plate which causes the stop area for the door latch in the cut-out area in the opening of the fastening plate to be modified in such a manner as to cause it to move along a path away from force applied in an unauthorized entry attempt and return to its original position, thereby causing it to move in a direction from which force is applied when forced entry is attempted through the portal by kicking or prying efforts and thereby prevent the release of the door latch and resultant forced entry through the portal.
In the present invention, in a door jamb construction having a jamb shoulder and flat jamb surface an improvement is made to the conventional striker fastening plate assembly to cause the addition of a recoiling guided stop plate constrained to move along a path away from applied force in an unauthorized entry attempt and return to its original position by a biasing means to remain in a fixed position in order to restrain the door latching member in order to cause the door to remain in a closed position.
The use of this improvement makes forced entry by kicking or prying difficult because the recoiling guided stop plate moves away from the direction of the kick or prying efforts and stores the energy of the kick or other effort and redirects it back in the opposite direction to the kick or other break in efforts, thereby absorbing and reducing the pressure exerted against the securing screws and against the door jamb. The use of the present invention will reduce or prevent the breaking of the striker fastening plate or door latch and the breaking of the doorjamb and thus prevent unauthorized entry through the door or portal.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the recoiling guided stop plate is restrained by stiff springs, to enable the storage of the energy of the kick or other forced entry attempts and moves away to prevent the release of the door latch and thus cause the door to remain in a closed position even after repeated efforts to force it open.
Therefore, it is among the primary objects of the present invention to provide an improved novel door safety striker fastening plate which will accommodate installing on a variety of sizes and widths of door jambs and which when installed will prevent the forcible entry into a room by kicking and breaking the door jamb at the striker fastening plate.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel door safety striker fastening plate that is easy to install and may be readily installed without the use of special knowledge techniques or special equipment.